When There's Nothing Left
by MidnightDreamer12
Summary: A simple mission takes a dark turn when Erza Scarlet finds out her one true love, Jellal Fernandez, is ordering attacks on travelers. A heavy investigation leads to the unveiling of a malicious plot, and Erza and her team go on adventure of love, friendship, and loyalty where the strongest of bonds are put to the test.
1. Chapter 1

When There's Nothing Left: Chapter 1

Hey guys! Midnight Dreamer here! So this is my first fanfiction, and I'm very excited to share it with you! Constructive criticism is welcome.

The sweltering heat already had Erza Scarlet in a bad mood, and Natsu and Gray's bickering sure wasn't helping. The only thing keeping her from bashing their heads together was the fact that Princess Hisui E. Fiore was standing a mere five feet from her. Oh how irritated she was. The promising thought of beating them to a pulp when they got back to the guild was quite literally the only reason Erza was staying sane.

"Quiet, you imbeciles!" Erza hissed under her breath. "Her majesty is right there!"

The two instantly shut their mouths when they saw the princess smiling at them. Erza was impressed that they actually stopped talking. Who knew all it took was the sweet smile of a princess.

Why Makarov chose Natsu and Gray to accompany her on this mission was beyond Erza. Perhaps he thought a mission to keep Hisui safe on her travels would force them to grow up. As if. Those two will continue to fight each other until they were old and grey.

"Thank you for being here. The carriage ride should only be about an hour, but these roads are infested with dark guilds. One can never be too careful," Hisui said.

Dark guilds. There were so many of them lately. Erza couldn't help but wonder if Jellal's guild was nearby. It would make sense. After all, the sole purpose of his guild is to wipe out all traces of darkness in Fiore. She could only hope he was keeping safe in such dangerous times. The threat of Zeref was ever present.

Erza was shaken out of her thoughts when Natsu spoke up.

"We have to walk a whole hour without stopping for food? How am I supposed to do that?"

"You'll survive, Flame Brain. It's about time you learned how to manage your food intake," Gray snickered.

"How 'bout you shut up and mind your own damn business, snow cone!"

"Maybe I will when your stupidity finally stops interfering with our missions!"

"ENOUGH!" Erza roared. "I apologize for their behavior, your majesty."

Hisui waved off the apology with a smile. "It's all right. Boys will be boys. We should be off now, though. The sooner we get to my destination, the better."

Hisui climbed into her carriage, and Natsu, Gray, and Erza walked along the sides. The grumbling of the fire dragonslayer did nothing to ease Erza's short temper. She wished more with every passing second that Lucy was there to keep Natsu in check. Alas, the poor celestial mage had come down with a cold and was currently on bed rest. Erza found it miraculous how Lucy was capable of calming such a reckless wizard like Natsu. Erza's method of intimidation was barely enough to keep them from clawing each other's throats out. Lucy truly has a gift with words.

The two boys once again began shouting insults at each other, and Erza did nothing to stop them. The intense heat from the sun left sweat dripping down her arms, leaving her in no mood to put up with their nonsense.

A soft breeze had Erza sighing with relief, as the air gently tickled her heated skin. Scarlet tresses flowed behind her as she spread her arms wide, welcoming the zephyr. For a moment she could imagine herself soaring above the clouds, reveling in the wind as it blew all of her stress away. Perhaps Jellal would be there too, whispering into her ear, his voice as gentle and smooth as the breeze. His words and the wind combined would rejuvenate her entire being.

She opened her eyes and shook herself out if her fantasy. This wasn't the time for daydreaming about Jellal. She had a mission to fulfill. Not to mention two immature boys to babysit.

Natsu began to complain after about ten minutes. "I wish Luce was here! She's more interesting than you two!"

"Well she's sick, and it's better that she's resting at home," Erza told him.

"How did she get sick? I never get sick!"

"That's because your inhuman, fire ball," Gray retorted.

"Who are you calling inhuman, popsicle? I'm more human than you!"

"Says the dragon boy."

"Shut your trap, would ya?"

"Why should I? Insulting dense idiots like you is fun!"

"Boys!" Erza warned, "you two need to shut up and look out for dark guilds. The safety of the princess is much more important than your dispute."

Natsu and Gray reluctantly stopped arguing and continued walking alongside the rolling carriage. Erza sighed with relief. It was about time she got some peace and quiet.

The carriage rolled along into the forest. It became clear why dark guilds were large in numbers here: the trees provided perfect cover to hide and attack unsuspecting travelers and caravans. The evergreens loomed over the group like glowering gods. The stillness of the wood created an air of mystery than made Erza uneasy. Only a fool wouldn't be able to tell that something was off. Erza couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, or worse, followed. She figured a dark guild was lurking around, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. The re-quip mage had her hand ready to summon a sword at a moment's notice.

"Hey Erza!" Natsu yelled, "see anything?"

Erza shook her head. "No, but I definitely sense the presence of dark forces. Be on your guard."

The silence was deafening as the group lumbered down the path. Erza thought she might get whiplash from all the times she swung her head around, thinking she heard something. Every little tickle on her skin got her heart racing as if she were in the midst of battle. Even Natsu and Gray were silent, cautiously treading along and keeping a constant watch on their surroundings.

The tense environment was broken in a single instant when a dagger came flying toward Erza from the left. She quickly equipped her sword and smacked the blade out of the air before it shattered the carriage window.

"We've got company!" Erza shouted to Natsu and Gray.

Gray stayed back to watch the princess while Natsu and Erza took off running, magic ready, towards the direction the dagger came from. The two stumbled through the trees, looking for whoever had thrown the knife. Their efforts, however, were fruitless. The culprit seemed to have vanished completely.

"He couldn't have gone far!" Natsu panted, "so where the hell is he!"

"I don't know, but we should probably turn back. It's not worth chasing this guy if Gray might be in trouble back at the carria-"

Erza was cut off when a second dagger, dropped from above, landed mere inches from her right foot. She snapped her head up to see a sneering, crooked face looking down at her from his perch on a tree branch. Erza snarled at the knife thrower. How dare this scoundrel throw not one, but two daggers at her!

"Heaven's wheel!" she shouted, and her body glowed golden as her regular armor was replaced with heaven's wheel armor. "Circle sword!" Her arm shot up in the direction of her target, and a volley of ten swords flew up to strike down the man. He screamed and leapt from his branch moments before a blade came in contact with his face. Erza and Natsu both cringed as he landed on the ground next to them with a sickening crunch.

Now that the mysterious figure was writhing in pain at her feet, Erza was able to get a good look at him. His leg was twisted in an unnatural position from his fifteen-foot drop. Deep purple robes adorned his figure, and his gargantuan nose and bulging eyes were half-hidden by a gold-rimmed hood. Erza bent down and dragged him up by his collar. Now that his face was completely visible, Erza and Natsu could see just how hideous his face really was. Erza thought he looked like a cross between a troll and blob fish.

"You. What's your name?"

"S-Seth," the man spat in pain.

"And what business do you have throwing daggers at travelers?"

"It's not my fault! Please, don't hurt me!"

"Why do you say it's not your fault? It was your arm that threw the knife," Erza said while scrutinizing his odd face. He really did have a rather large nose.

"I was ordered to ambush anyone who came by on this road. I had no choice, I swear! Have mercy and release me!" Seth begged.

Erza frowned. "By whom?"

"Huh?"

"Who ordered you to attack travelers?"

"H-he said his name was Jellal. Jellal Fernandez. If I didn't do it, he said he'd kill me and my family."

Erza was stunned into silence. There was no way Seth was talking about her Jellal. She had no way of telling if Seth was truthful, but there weren't many people around named Jellal Fernandez. It didn't make sense. What could this possibly mean? Jellal would never do something like that. Had darkness once again taken control of his mind? All of these thoughts spun around in Erza's head like a tornado. What had happened to her dearest Jellal?

Well that's it for the first chapter! Don't forget to leave a review!


	2. Chapter 2

When There's Nothing Left: Chapter 2

I'm back with chapter two! Enjoy!

Erza and Natsu dragged Seth back to the carriage, paying no mind to his shouts of pain as his broken leg bounced across the forest floor. It was best if Seth accompanied the group. Then he could be questioned further, and then locked away if he was as dangerous as he seemed. At least that's what Erza told Natsu. The only thing the red-headed mage cared about was finding out if it was really Jellal who gave the orders to Seth.

Hisui leapt out of the carriage as soon as Natsu and Erza emerged from the trees. Gray was still with her, and frowned when he saw Seth.

"Thank goodness you two are okay!" Hisui exclaimed, "I was worried you got lost or hurt!" She looked at the pathetic man being dragged by Erza's armored fist. "Who's this?"

"Seth," Natsu replied, "he was the one who threw that dagger at the carriage."

"His nose is huge!" was Gray's helpful comment.

Hisui chuckled and Erza rolled her eyes. A groan of irritation and pain could be heard from said man as he unsuccessfully attempted to shift the position of his leg.

"Where are you taking me, demon woman?"

"Back to the guild after we finish our job." Erza growled. Who was he to call her a demon woman? "Hisui, do you mind if he rides in the carriage with you? He certainly won't be walking with that broken leg."

"It's quite alright. If he's behind the recent attacks, it's best if we find out more about him and his motives."

Not that Erza didn't know his motives already. He was protecting himself and his family. Erza shuddered as the image of a bunch of children with huge noses flashed through her mind. That was a horrifying thought. More to the point, he said Jellal had been the one to order the attacks. Erza simply didn't see how that was possible. Jellal would never do such a thing. Seven years ago, maybe, but now? No. There was just no way.

"Thank you, your majesty." Erza turned to Seth. "Well get in."

The man struggled to crawl in the carriage, and no one offered assistance. The princess followed, and the vehicle once again began rolling down the path.

"So what's the story with this guy?" Gray asked.

Natsu piped up before Erza could say anything. "He's been harassing travelers 'cause apparently Jellal told him too."

"Jellal?" Gray questioned, "why on earth would he do that?"

Natsu shrugged and Erza glared. "It couldn't have been Jellal, obviously. Seth must be lying." She was so matter-of-fact about it Gray didn't dare argue.

The re-quip mage stomped ahead, leaving Natsu and Gray a ways behind her, bringing up the rear of the carriage.

"Do you think it was Jellal who told Seth to attack? It's just not something he would do." Gray asked Natsu.

The dragonslayer frowned. "It could be. He claims to be repenting for his sins nowadays, but I never really did trust him. If he is behind this, I'll definitely kick his ass."

Gray didn't believe it was Jellal. It worried him that Natsu didn't have the same faith. It was obvious how much Erza desired a future with Jellal, and it would be difficult for him to become part of the Fairy Tail family if not everyone could trust him. It made Gray wonder how many other people besides Natsu thought he was sketchy.

The two boys caught up to Erza, who didn't bother to look at them. No doubt she was lost in thought about the whole situation. She figured Seth would give her more answers later. If not, she was sure Mira would love to bleed him of information.

"So Erza," Natsu began, "after we bring the guy with the big nose to the guild and question him, then what? Are you going to hand him over to the council?"

"No. We can take care of this without the council getting involved. They always make things messier than they need to be, anyhow."

Of course that wasn't the real reason the magic council wouldn't be getting their hands on Seth. If Lahar found out Jellal was behind the ambushing of travelers, he would hunt the heavenly body mage down and put him in prison again. Even if it wasn't Jellal, there would be no way to prove his innocence. It would be best to avoid the council all together.

Natsu frowned. He may have a reputation for being dense, but he had a pretty good idea of what Erza was doing. She was protecting Jellal. In his opinion, Jellal should at least be questioned. Just because he was a friend, it doesn't mean he was innocent. Especially if his dark past was taken into consideration.

Erza, on the other hand, was very adamant about the fact that it was not Jellal who gave Seth his orders. It was, after all, difficult to find fault in someone who she loved so deeply. Erza supposed that was how so many people lost their way, oblivious to the truth since they were looking at someone through rose-tinted spectacles.

She was so wrapped up in thought that she didn't notice the carriage arrived at Hisui's destination until Gray tapped her on the shoulder. The princess stepped out of the vehicle once it rolled to a stop.

"Thank you for escorting me. Here's your reward." Hisui handed Erza a large wad of jewel.

"Can I get out here too? Just let me go!" Seth whined. "My leg hurts, and-"

Seth's complaints were cut off when Natsu slammed his fist into Seth's oversized nose.

"You're getting out here, but you're coming with us."

The knife-thrower was thrown over Erza's shoulder, and his already bruised nose hit the back of her steel armor.

"Oww!" He shrieked. "Put me down, you wench!"

"One more word out of you and I'll shove those daggers of yours up your ass!" Erza's tone was enough for Seth to pipe down. She meant it, and he knew it. Natsu and Gray couldn't help but smirk. It was amusing seeing Erza angry as hell, just as long as her wrath wasn't directed at them, of course.

"Come on, let's get back to the guild!" Natsu declared. "It'll be fun to watch you get some answers out of this loser!"

Erza rolled her eyes. "We have quite a bit of walking ahead of us. Let's move."

Back at the Fairy Tail guild hall, Lucy was sipping Mira's soothing tea in hopes of relieving her sore throat. On top of being sick, it was also that horrible time of the month. The poor celestial mage rested her head on the bar counter, and Mira smiled sympathetically while she dried freshly washed glasses and mugs with a hand towel.

"Is the tea helping any?" She asked sweetly.

Lucy nodded her head to be nice, but in reality it wasn't doing much. No use in hurting Mira's feelings after she had made her two cups of tea. The first one had spilled all over the counter and floor, so here she was drinking the second one.

"That's good! Natsu should be back from his mission any time now. I'm sure he can make you feel even better!" Mira winked, laughing at the blush that spread across Lucy's cheeks.

"Oh shut up! That dense idiot will only make things worse, and you know it."

Mira simply shrugged and continued drying glasses, the devilish smirk never leaving her face.

Lucy groaned and put her head in her hands. Why did she have to get sick? It was irritating not being able to go out on missions with her team. Earlier today she had pleaded with Erza to let her go on the mission to escort Hisui— she really needed the rent money— but the armored mage flat out refused and insisted she rest instead. The flying blue cat had decided it would be more fun to hang out at the guild and bother Lucy all day than to go on the mission, so of course Lucy had no choice but to put up with Happy's antics. Speak of the devil…

"So Lucy!" Happy chirped as he flew over to the bar where she was sitting. "When are you and Natsu gonna go on a date?" The cat snickered behind his paws.

Lucy shot a death glare at the little beast. "You think you're so funny, don't you? The next time you bother me, I'll tie your tail to a beam on the ceiling and let you hang there! Got it?"

"Whaa! Lucy's mean!" Happy sobbed as flew off to seek comfort in Carla. Not that she would pay him any mind.

Mira frowned. "Poor thing. He's such a sweet little kitty."

"'Poor thing!'" Lucy cried incredulously, "that fur ball is nothing but a menace!"

"All he did was say that you and Natsu would make a great couple! What's the harm in that?"

"That's not what he said! Don't defend him!"

"Defend who?"

Lucy whipped around I'm her chair to see who the new voice belonged to, only to come face to face with the one and only Natsu. Lucy felt her cheeks heat up. "N-no one! How much of that did you hear?"

"Just when you said 'defend who?'" Natsu replied. "So are you feeling any better?" He sounded genuinely concerned.

Lucy was greatful for the subject change. "A little bit." That was a stretch.

Mira smiled and waved from across the counter. "Hey Natsu! Back from your mission I see."

"Yup! We even brought back a souvenir!"

Mira and Lucy looked to see Erza throw a man that she previously had slung over her shoulder on to one of the guild's tabletops. Wendy, who noticed the commotion, rushed over to where he lay.

"Wow he has a big nose!" Was of course the first thing the sky dragonslayer said. "It looks like his leg is broken. I'll heal him."

Erza shook her head. "Not yet. I want answers out of him before we give him the five-star treatment."

Mira and Lucy looked at her confused.

"I'll tell everyone later. Right now I want to bring him to the wine cellar to interrogate him. Mira, I'd like it if you joined me."

Mira nodded, and the two women hauled Seth to the wine cellar.

That's all for now! Don't forget to favorite, follow, and review!


	3. Chapter 3

When There's Nothing Left: Chapter 3

Hey guys me again! Here I am with chapter 3!

 _Somewhere outside of Crocus_

A pink-haired mage tore through the trees, panting and out of breath. She wanted nothing more than to stop and rest her aching feet, but the heavy set of footsteps behind her was a constant reminder that she must keep moving. The important message she had to deliver could not wait, and if the person who was following her caught up to her, it was all over.

A glimmer of light up ahead caught the girl's attention. City lights! As soon as she broke through the tree line, she started looking for anyone to be about on the streets. It was, however, after midnight, and no one could be seen. The mage threw a glance over her shoulder, only to find that she was no longer being chased. Even if he was gone, it still wasn't safe to be outside by herself. Who was that guy anyway? She never had gotten a good look at his face, and there was a good chance he didn't want to be seen if he hadn't followed her onto the lighted streets. Her best guess was that he was a bounty hunter for the council, out to capture her for a reward. That's was the absolute last thing she needed; she was on a mission.

Scanning her surroundings, the girl noticed one of the buildings had a hanging sign that read: The Scurrying Rat's Inn and Pub. The name didn't make the place sound very friendly, but her only choice was to stay the night there. She hoped the little bit of jewel she had would be enough.

The few wooden steps leading to the entrance creaked when she put her weight on them. As soon as she opened the door to the inn, the mage began to regret choosing to stay there. Several scary-looking, drunken men turned to stare, there gazes nothing short of creepy and sickening. She'd seen so many things like this in movies, and it never ended well for young girl. Ignoring then as best as she possibly could, the mage uncomfortably walked to what she assumed was the front counter.

"Uh, excuse me sir? Do you have a room available?"

The intimidating man behind the counter looked down at her. "I do if ya got the jewel. Five thousand for one night."

The girl fished around in her satchel and pulled out the money. She barely had enough. The small amount she had left wouldn't even buy her a meal. She needed to get to her destination as soon as possible.

The man snatched the jewel out of her hand, grabbed a key, and nodded at her to follow as he proceeded down a candle-lit hallway. When they reached a door labeled "201", he handed her key.

"It's yours for the night." The man left her at the door walked back to the front counter. At least she was away from the threatening stares of the drunks.

The young mage put the key in the lock and slowly swung the wooden door open. She was expecting a filthy rat's nest, but was instead met with a cozy, clean, and tidy bedroom and bathroom. This would definitely do for the night. It was no five-star suite, but she had never been one for extreme luxury anyhow.

A quick shower later had the girl resting in the comfy bed. As soon as the first light of day fell across the land, she would be off again. Hopefully the person who was following her would be long gone by morning, and perhaps they would have given up searching for her. She seriously doubted that, but there's nothing wrong with wishing. Regardless of what happened with her stalker, the message she carried must be delivered to Fairy Tail before it was too late.

 _The Fairy Tail guild hall_

"Ow Luce your foot is digging into my shoulder!" Natsu hissed.

"Deal with it! I'm trying to watch!"

The two were currently following through with Natsu's "master plan" to spy on Erza and Mira while they questioned Seth. It was a true miracle they were able to sneak into wine cellar behind the women and dart behind a giant barrel before they were noticed. So now Lucy was climbing on Natsu's shoulders to get a good look at the action while being concealed behind the wine barrel.

"Alright Seth," Mira began, "let's start with this. Why were you attacking travelers?"

"I already told the other one this. I was ordered by Jellal Fernandez to attack them. If I didn't, he said he'd kill my family."

Erza frowned and Mira gasped.

"Jellal? I don't understand! Erza, is this true?" Mira asked.

Erza remained as stoic as possible, not wanting to give Seth any clues about her relationship with Jellal. "That's what I'm trying to figure out. So tell me Seth, what did this man look like?"

"Shaggy blue hair, and he had this weird red tattoo on his face. That's all I really remember."

Erza closed her eyes, Jellal's face coming to mind. The face of true beauty in her was no doubt about it, the man Seth described was him. After all, how many other people out there had blue hair and an intricate red tattoo?

Mira put her hand to her mouth. "Oh my..."

"Can I go now?" Seth whined, "I told you everything!"

"Not yet," Erza glared and crossed her arms, "when he gave you the orders, where were you?"

"What does that matter?"

Erza equipped a sword into her hand at pointed it at his throat. "I asked you a question!"

Seth gulped. He certainly wouldn't be back-talking Erza again. "In Hargeon, where I live."

"Do you know if he's still there?"

"Probably not. He didn't seem like the type who would stay in one place very long."

Erza lowered her sword now that he had started talking again.

"And how long ago was this exactly?" Mira questioned.

"Four days ago."

Erza jumped back in. "Did he give any indication of where he was going next?" She hoped she did sound like she was desperate to see Jellal, which is of course the conclusion Mira immediately jumped to.

Seth shook his head. "Not as far as I could tell." Erza guessed that wasn't very far.

"Why do you think he ordered you in particular? Do people usually hire you for this kind of work?" Erza pressed.

"No! I don't know why he came to me! I'm just a fisherman!"

"You seem to know how to handle a blade quite well for a fisherman. Your display in the forest earlier most definitely proved that."

"Alright fine. Every now and then I do jobs like this to make ends meet. But I've never worked for this guy before, and I don't know why he threatened me and my family. I swear I don't know, can you please just let me go now?"

Mira and Erza shared a glance, seeming to read each other's minds.

"Not quite yet," Mira told him, "we want to keep you here for a while longer."

"But I told you everything!"

Seth's protest fell on deaf ears as the women dragged him back to the main floor of the guild hall, saying nothing more. As soon as the doors to wine cellar shut behind them, Lucy jumped off Natsu's shoulders, and he sighed with relief.

"Geez, Luce! You're heavy! Thank Mavis they're finally done!"

Lucy shot him a glare. "Shut up, I'm not heavy! And it was your idea to spy on them so quit complaining!"

Natsu rubbed his shoulders as Lucy walked to the door of the wine cellar and yanked on the handle. It didn't open.

"What're ya waitin' for? Open it!"

"It's locked, Natsu."

"How can it be locked? Erza and Mira just walked through here!"

"They obviously locked the door behind them, genius! Great, now we're stuck in the wine cellar and it's all your fault!"

"My fault? How is it my fault? I'm not the one who locked it!"

"Well this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't suggested we follow them down here!" Lucy punched Natsu's already aching shoulders and promptly sat down on the concrete floor with her back against the wall. Well this is fun. Who knew how long they would be stuck down there.

"And I'm sick!" Lucy added, trying to increase Natsu's guilt, if he had any in the first place. "I can't just be trapped here! I need medicine!"

"Don't worry Luce. It won't be long before someone wants wine." Natsu sat down beside her and did the only thing he could do: wait.

Seth, who was currently tied to one of the guild hall's chairs, whined to be let go. Erza's response was to put a piece of duct tape over his mouth. The entire guild had become irritated with his complaints as soon as he opened his mouth. Shutting him up would do everyone's ears a great deal of good.

"Well," Mira began, "what now?"

"I don't know. Seth has told us everything he knows. I'm not sure what else we can do with him. I suppose we could send him back to Hargeon, but that won't put a stop to the jobs he takes."

"I meant about Jellal. Are you going to do anything?"

Erza remained silent for a few moments. When she spoke, her voice was soft and her eyes downcast. "I'll worry about that later. Right now we need to deal with this one," she gestured to Seth.

Mira could see the pain uh her friends eyes, so she decided not to push the Jellal subject and focus on Seth. "Well it's not right to keep him away from his family any longer. They're probably worried sick about him."

Erza thought about it, then turned to Seth and ripped the duct tape off his mouth. "Go home to Hargeon. But if you ever take a job that involves hurting innocent people again, Fairy Tail will cut you down. Understood?"

Seth vigorously nodded, and Erza sliced through the binds holding him to the chair with her sword. As soon as the ropes were cut, the giant-nosed man scrambled out the doors of the guild hall and onto the bustling streets of Magnolia. Erza hoped she would never see him again, as did Mira. He could figure out himself how to get back home.

"Why don't you have a seat at the bar, Erza? I'll get you some strawberry cake!"

Unable to refuse Mira's tempting offer, the requip mage followed her and sat at one of the barstools. Yes, cake sounded good. Much better than thinking about Jellal. Men were emotionally draining.

"Here you are!" Mira placed a slice of the mouth-watering treat in front of her. One bite already had Erza feeling better. Strawberry cake certainly made the world a better place.

"Hey Erza!"

The said mage glared at Gray, who had just interrupted her quality time with her strawberry cake. "What?"

"Have you seen Flame-brain and Lucy? I can't find them anywhere."

"No, I haven't seen them. They probably left the guild early. Lucy's still a little under the weather, and Natsu is most likely wherever she is."

"Eh whatever. I'll look for them later." Gray jogged off, leaving Erza to wonder how his shirt miraculously disappeared. Of course what they both didn't know was that Natsu and Lucy were currently trapped in the wine cellar below them. Oh well. Surely Cana would be down there soon enough, looking for booze.

A large bang caught the guild's attention as the doors were thrown open to reveal a panting, pink-haired mage. The new arrival sank to her knees in the doorway, clearly exhausted.

"Meredy!" Juvia gasped. "Are you alright?"

Meredy weakly nodded. "I… I have a… a message…" Before she could say anything else, Meredy fell on her side, out cold.

That's all for chapter three! Stay tuned and don't forget to favorite, follow, and review!


	4. Chapter 4

When There's Nothing Left: Chapter 4

I'm back! I'm going on a camping trip in a little less than two weeks, so I'll try and post more often to make up for the lost time. Anyway, enjoy chapter four!

 _Hargeon_

It was well after dark, and Seth quietly slipped through the front door of his waterfront house, trying not to wake his wife and children. He was quite sure his family had sent out search parties and contacted every police department in Fiore to try to find him. After all, he hadn't been home in two days and he'd never told anyone where he was going. No doubt they were all worried out their minds. He mentally prepared for the smack from a spatula his wife was sure to give him when she realized he was home. They had an agreement to always tell each other where they were going before they left, and he had failed to do that.

Shutting the door as silently as possible, Seth crept across the tiled floor to the rear of the house and into his small office. It wasn't much, just a desk, chair, and file cabinet. Using the key that always hung around his neck, he opened the locked bottom drawer of the cabinet, glancing over his shoulder just to make sure his wife wasn't standing behind him with her spatula. When he was positive he was alone, Seth lifted the fragile box inside the drawer as carefully as possible and set on the desk. Seth's wife had no idea the box even existed, and he intended to keep it that way. The last thing he needed was his family getting involved with his work.

The large-nosed man lifted the lid and pulled out the tissue-wrapped contents. The paper was brushed away to reveal a large, spherical lacrima crystal set inside a solid gold stand. A true beauty it was. Seth gently ran his hands over the lacrima, and it began to glow a light blue. Inky black clouds swirled around until they took the shape and color of a hooded man staring back at Seth.

"Seth! Are you back in Hargeon yet?" The man in the lacrima asked.

Seth nodded. "Yes, and keep your voice down. My wife and kids are sleeping."

He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Oh, sorry. So is it done?"

"I hope so. I did what I could, but there's no guarantee the results will be instantaneous. We'll probably have to wait a few days."

"That was expected. Nothing went wrong, I presume?"

"Everything went fine. What about you? Did you complete your task?"

The man in the lacrima grimaced. "No, I wasn't fast enough. I hope this doesn't hurt us too much."

"We'll have to work with it. You did what you could. Just not sure if 'you know who' is gonna be happy."

"Yeah, that's a bit of an issue. At least it's my ass on the chopping block and not yours."

"Don't worry, I'm sure we can talk to him." A noise from the second floor of the house alerted Seth. "Shit, I think someone's waking up. We'll talk later."

Seth waved his hands over the lacrima again and it went dark. Seconds later, it was back in the bottom drawer of the file cabinet just in time for his wife to enter the office. The spatula she carried seemed to glare down at him.

"Seth?" She whispered, "you're home?" Her shock quickly turned to anger. "Do you have any idea how worried I've been? Where on earth land were you for the past two days?"

Seth sighed, trying to act as calm as possible bit internally freaking out. Dealing with his wife when she was pissed was no easy task. What had he gotten himself into?

 _The Fairy Tail guild hall- infirmary_

Meredy had been moved to the guild's infirmary, where she was currently resting. Wendy needed to make sure she wasn't injured, since it wasn't exactly normal to pass out in the doorway of the guildhall. Erza could hardly wait for her to wake up. She said she had a message, and it must be about Jellal, right? Anxiety had her pacing the room, thinking of all the different things Meredy might have to say.

Wendy entered the room and walked to Meredy's bedside. "You don't need to worry Erza, everything's going to be fine. She should be awake soon. It looks as if she ran all the way here, so she's just tired and a little dehydrated. There aren't any injuries other than a few scrapes here and there, so that's good."

Erza nodded and sat opposite Wendy. It wasn't Meredy she was worried about, though. Of course she cared about her well-being, but right now all Erza could think about was Jellal and what could have possibly caused Meredy to come rushing to Magnolia.

Gray and Juvia opened the door and came to sit with Erza and Wendy.

"Will Meredy be alright?" Juvia asked the young dragonslayer.

"Yeah, she's okay. Just tired is all."

The next person to come through the door, in her drunken stupor, was the one and only Cana. Natsu and Lucy trailed in behind her.

"Hey, look who I found hanging out in the wine cellar! I'm sure they were having fun down there!" Cana slurred between hiccups, winking at Lucy.

A blush made it's way across the celestial mage's face. "It's not like that! We got stuck down there!"

"Mmhm. You can't fool me! We all know what was really happening!"

Gray snickered, which of course led to a deadly verbal debate between him and Natsu. Erza stepped in when the fighting began to get physical.

"That's enough! You two could destroy the entire guild hall and end up hurting Meredy!"

The boys backed down, although reluctantly. Neither of them wanted to make Meredy worse than she already was, but they certainly lived to beat each other up.

Juvia, who was watching the sleeping mage, suddenly gasped. "Her eyelids just flickered! She's waking up!"

All if the present mages instantly became silent and turned their attention to the slumbering girl. Sure enough, Meredy slowly opened her eyes and looked at all of the Fairy Tail members staring at her. "Wha-what happened?" she groaned groggily.

"You're in the Fairy Tail infirmary. You passed out when you came running into the guild hall." Lucy told her.

Recognition passed over her face. "Oh yeah! I remember now!" More awake, Meredy sat up. "I came here to deliver a message. If all of you don't mind, I'd like to speak to Erza in private."

The others nodded and left the two women alone in the hospital room. They all suspected Meredy had news of Jellal, and Erza should be the first to hear it.

Meredy looked grave. "You're not going to like this, Erza. A few days ago, Jellal and I were camping in this little cave, evading the council. Jellal was asleep, and I went out to go look for more wood since our fire was running a little low. I was just about to go back to the cave when I heard these weird noises. I hid behind a tree just as three guys walked right into the cave and beat Jellal up before he was even awake. I wanted to help, but I figured it would be better to follow them instead, then go get help from Fairy Tail. I never got a good look at their faces, but I know they weren't from the council. Anyway, once he was unconscious, the men took him out of the cave and started walking through the woods. I trailed behind the whole time, using the trees for cover. We walked for about a good hour until we reached this weird building, and the men hauled him inside. That's the last I saw of them. Although, I did catch a snippet of their conversation on the way there. They said something about 'as long as no one finds the control room, it'll be fine.' I'm not sure what that means, but I think it could be a potential weakness."

Erza thought long and hard about what Meredy had just told her. So Jellal had been taken captive. Maybe these men somehow brought back the Jellal from the tower of heaven and that's why he was ordering attacks?

Meredy continued. "So I ran all the way here. But someone was chasing me the whole time. I originally thought it was someone from the council, but thinking about it now, it was probably one of the three men who realized Jellal had someone with him, and came after me, too. I'm not totally sure."

"So these guys kidnapped Jellal and now they're after you?

"I think so."

"And this control room is a potential weakness."

"Yeah."

Erza sighed. This must be connected to the attacks, but she wasn't sure how.

"Do you remember where this building is exactly?"

"Well I know where the cave is, and I know what direction they went. I could find it if I tried. Do you want me to take you there?"

"Not now, maybe later though. I need to think on this a bit, and it would be foolish to charge in there with just the two of us. There's no telling how much backup those men have inside there." Erza smiled at Meredy. "Why don't you come downstairs? Mira can get you something to eat."

Meredy nodded. "I'd like that. Thank you, Erza."

"No problem."

She was still a little bit weak from running so much, but with Erza's help, Meredy was able to get out of the hospital bed and slowly and carefully walk to the main part of the guild hall once she was feeling up to it. Mira's cooking was quite fabulous, and Meredy was most definitely famished.

As soon as Erza and Meredy set foot into the main hall, they were greeted by a crowed of excited and concerned mages, relived to see the pink-haired mage up and walking.

"Meredy!" Juvia said after giving her a hug, "how are you feeling?"

"Much better now, thank you for asking."

Gray patted her on the head. "Good to see you back on your feet!"

"I was just really exhausted, it's not that big of a deal you guys. I appreciate your concern, though."

Erza guided Meredy to the bar after the Fairy Tail mages finished bombarding her, where they both took a seat. Even though she had been resting for quite a while in the infirmary, Meredy was greatful for a place to sit and rest her legs, which were still very sore.

Mira saw the two women sitting at the bar and scurried over to them. "Can I get you something to eat or drink?"

"Lemonade and some hot soup, please," Meredy requested.

"Of course! Anything for you, Erza? Some strawberry cake, perhaps?"

Well since she offered… "Sure. One slice couldn't hurt."

Mira disappeared to fulfill their orders, leaving Meredy and Erza a few minutes to chat.

"So Erza, if you decide to infiltrate the weird building those guys took Jellal into, who would go with you? You did say it would be bad for just us to go in."

"I don't know yet. I suppose I'll just take whoever is willing and knows their way around the battlefield."

"That's pretty much your entire guild. As soon as they know what happened to Jellal, they'll all want to go help. That's just the way Fairy Tail is, and it's what I most admire about all of you. Everyone will drop everything to lend a helping hand."

Erza grinned. "Indeed. I'll take an elite team with me, so we can finish the job as soon as possible. We'll leave in two days. That should be enough time for me to gather a team and have everyone prepare. Don't worry Meredy, we're going to save Jellal, one way or another."

And there's chapter four! Don't forget to favorite, follow, and review!


	5. Chapter 5

**When There's Nothing Left: Chapter 5**

 **I'm back from my camping trip! It's great to be home again, and it's even better to have the internet again. It took way longer to get this done than I anticipated, so sorry for the wait! But anyway, enjoy chapter five!**

 _Cafe in Hargeon_

The rumor is that this little cafe in Hargeon is the best in Fiore. After tasting his cappuccino and pastry, Seth decided this rumor is quite true. He enjoyed his food and drink very much so, and the class and simplicity of the building gave it an irresistible charm. Seth considered himself fortunate to be sitting at the wooden cafe table. He somehow managed to escape the wrath of his wife and earn the privilege to go out on his own with out "supervision". Good thing, too, because Seth had a very important business meeting today. If only his business partner would show up, that would make things even better.

Five minutes later had Seth tapping his feet and drumming his fingers on the table. His business partner has a reputation for being late, so this was expected, although there was the fact that Seth had a reputation for being impatient. Not the best combination.

"Can I get you anything else, sir?"

Seth barely glanced up when the waitress came over to him and simply shook his head with a barely audible "No, thank you."

Just when a nap was starting to sound like a good idea, a figure dressed in all black joined Seth at the opposite end of the table.

"I'm here."

"Well no shit I can see that," Seth said sarcastically, "what took you so long?"

"I had to make a detour on the way here. Some guys from the council, you know how they are."

Seth went along with his story, although he figured the real reason for his partner's late arrival was that he couldn't get his lazy ass out if bed in time. "Yeah, yeah. So did you find out where the girl ended up?"

"I'm assuming she's with the fairies, but I don't know for sure. The boss isn't going to like this."

"We talked about this last night over the lacrima. And it can't be that bad if the girl escaped. If she goes and tells Fairy Tail what happened, won't it just speed up the process?"

"Sure, it'll move things along quicker, but if she was following us through the woods, then she definitely heard us talking about the control room. I'd rather have it take longer than have Scarlet know about the control room."

Seth frowned. "That's a good point. We should have realized Fernandez wouldn't be camping alone sooner and looked for his allies. It's too late now, though. The girl that was with him is undoubtedly telling Scarlet the whole story as we speak. It won't be long before she sends a group of wizards looking for Jellal."

"So do we tell the boss about letting the girl escape or not?"

"We have to if we want to prepare for what's to come. When I made up the whole bullshit story about Fernandez ordering attacks, Scarlet was sure to investigate. Her information would have been awfully limited. Now that the girl told her everything that happened, our job becomes that much harder. The boss has to know."

"I hope my punishment for not catching her isn't too severe. Oh well, there's nothing I can do about it now."

"Come on, Vihran. We have a ways to travel if we plan to talk to the boss before the sun goes down."

 _Somewhere in the forest_

Seth and Vihran stood before a towering man, who glared down at both of them. The stone walls of the building they were in seemed to stare them down as well.

"Well? What news do you bring me?"

"I told Fairy Tail about Jellal Fernandez, sir." Seth reported.

"Good. And you, Vihran?"

"I, um, didn't catch the girl, sir."

The boss raised an eyebrow. "You let a little girl outrun you? Where is she now?"

"F-fairy Tail, sir. At least would imagine she's there."

The boss glared down at Vihran with such intensity that the ground beneath his feet started to smolder. "Are you telling me that Erza Scarlet now has information about us that she otherwise wouldn't have known?"

"I'm afraid so, sir." Vihran's voice was barely a whisper.

One moment of silence passed. Then two. Then a mighty roar and a flick of the boss's hand had Vihran flying into a wall. Seth winced as he watched his friend slump down onto the floor.

"Now that that's taken care of, I have one more task for you, Seth. I'm sure you know my sister. I'd like you to find her, and bring her to me. I didn't want to have to resort to her, but I'm afraid Vihran's failure leaves me no choice. Can u count on you to do this, Seth?"

"Y-yes. Of course, sir. I'll be back with your sister as soon as possible." With that, Seth scurried out of the building, not wanting to suffer the same fate as friend.

The boss turned to Vihran, who groaned as he struggled to get himself onto his hands and knees. His success to do so only resulted in him coughing up blood on the stone floor. In his rattled state, Vihran finally noticed Seth was no longer in the room. If he survived the boss's punishment, he was definitely going to give Seth an earful about ditching him. "You failed me, Vihran. I expected much more from you. To let a mere girl escape you clutches, tch. Pitiful. I suppose now the only thing left for you to do is serve your punishment."

Still coughing, Vihran was brutally lifted into the air by the boss's strong arm. He could feel his feet dragging against the rough stone as the boss carried him down a hallway that was hidden behind a curtain in the back of the large room. Vihran knew all too well where they were going. If the boss was serious about his punishment- which he undoubtedly was- the Vihran wouldn't be seeing the light of day for a long time.

The hallway came to an abrupt end at a wooden door where the boss had to duck to get through. Not only was the door short, but it was narrow, too. This of course resulted in Vihran's back getting scraped across the frame when he was dragged through. A metal gate blocked off the majority of the room on the other side of the door. The boss pulled out his key ring and unlocked the gate, throwing Vihran inside the cell.

"Have fun rotting in here. This is the price you pay for failing." With that, the boss locked up the cell and left through the wooden door. Vihran winced as he heard a lock click into place. Even if he somehow managed to get out of the cell, now he had to get past this other door. Just his luck.

After several failed attempts at getting his body through the bars if the gate, Vihran sat down in the corner if the cell. There was no getting out. He might be in there for weeks.

The holding cell wasn't much. It couldn't be any more than one hundred square feet.

A pile of blankets sat in the opposite corner of which his was sitting, and a small toilet was mounted on the wall a few feet away. The hard stone floor wasn't doing his bottom any favors. Vihran supposed he'd better get comfortable. Maybe a blanket would help.

Vihran reached for a blanket, and nearly leapt out of his skin when the pile moved before his hand touched it.

"What the hell?" Vihran shouted.

"If you wanted a blanket, you could have just asked." The pile shifted to reveal a green-eyed man with a tattoo on the right side of his face.

"Fernandez! The boss threw me in the same cell as you?"

"It appears so."

"Don't tell me he means to use me for the same purpose he's using you! This isn't happening!"

"And what purpose would that be?"

"I'm not just giving out information, Fernandez. We may be stuck in the same cell, but this doesn't make us allies."

Jellal said nothing as Vihran went to go pout in the opposite corner of the cell. He figured Vihran would eventually crack and tell him exactly what was going on. After all, Jellal certainly had a history of being persuasive.

 _Fairy Hills- Erza's room_

Erza and Meredy still hadn't told the rest of the guild the situation with Jellal. Until Erza gathered a team, she didn't want to cause any sort of panic amongst her team mates. She also didn't want tons of eager mages flocking around and begging to go on the rescue mission. Keeping it small was the best idea to get more information. Then they could gather a larger group if Erza deemed it necessary.

Meredy paced the length of Erza's bedroom, her hands clasped tightly behind her back. Walking back and forth helped her think, as well as voicing her ideas aloud.

"So if we're just going to have a small group to investigate first, them we should bring people who are good at gathering info quickly and efficiently. Like Levy. She's super smart. Yeah, we should definitely bring her. And if she goes, then we have to bring Gajeel, too. Although that's risky, since he probably will want to just go in and fight everyone instead of just scouting. What do you think, Erza?"

"Hm? Oh yes, we should bring Gajeel." In truth, Erza almost didn't hear the question. She was propped up on her bed, looking out the window. Meredy's rambling had barely processed in her mind. It was no secret what she was so lost in thought about. The love of her life might be rotting out in the woods somewhere. Erza's terrified imagination only made her want to rush to his rescue instantly. Her heart was screaming at her to just leave now go by herself, but logic told her otherwise. Jellal had a better chance of surviving- if he wasn't already dead- if Erza knew what she was getting into.

"Okay, so we should take them. Good, good. Now who else? Hm, not Natsu, he's way too reckless…"

Meredy continued to think aloud, with Erza hardly listening. She already had a team in mind, but she wanted Meredy to have her say as well. She was the one to witness the kidnapping, anyhow.

They would tell everyone later today, and set out first thing tomorrow. _Just you wait Jellal_ , Erza thought, _we're on our way._

 **Again, I'm so sorry this took so long! Now that my schedule is starting to calm down, I'll be updating more frequently. Thanks for reading, guys!**


	6. Chapter 6

**When There's Nothing Left: Chapter 6**

 **Here I am! But most importantly here's chapter six!**

 _Blue Pegasus guild hall_

Lounging on one of the lavish, hot pink sofas of the Blue Pegasus commons was the one and only Hibiki. He smirked as a beautiful lady passed by. All it took was a sultry smile and his hand running through his dark blonde locks to have her swooning. Oh how he loved his charm. Hibiki was undoubtedly one of the most attractive male wizards in Fiore, and perhaps even Ishgar. It only made sense to use it to his advantage.

Just as he was positive the pretty lady would come sit with him on the sofa, his master, Ichiya, beat her to it, and took a seat way too close to him. Hibiki respected Ichiya more than anyone, but he couldn't help but feel annoyed that he had scared off his potential new girlfriend.

"Ah, Hibiki! How marvelous to see you!"

"You as well, sir."

"Why thank you! I've come to tell you that there is a dangerous parfume in the air. People have been getting brutally slaughtered on the roads as of late. You'd do best stay here, and not do any traveling."

Hibiki frowned in thought. "People are being murdered? I suppose it's a common occurrence as of late. It must be the work of a dark guild, perhaps more than one. We should warn the other guilds, sir."

"Indeed. I already contacted my honey-bun at Fairy Tail. She said she might know what's going on. I'm going to travel to Fairy Tail and aid my princess in every way I can!"

Hibiki sweat dropped. "Didn't you just say the roads are dangerous? How exactly do you plan on getting there?"

Ichiya placed his hand over his heart and gazed off in the distance. He stood up on the couch and reached his other hand out in the direction of the Fairy Tail guild hall. Sparkles flashed around him. "I shall brave the treacherous roads in order to assist Miss Erza. A man must face the greatest of challenges for the woman he loves. It won't be easy, but I'll find my way and come to her rescue. Then we'll get married and-"

"Alright, Miestro. The Trimens shall help you in your quest to help your one true love." Ren and Eve appeared out of nowhere and the Trimens bowed to their master.

"Thank you, men! Together we shall traverse the the deadly, yet beautiful path of love!"

"We can't wait to learn, sir!"

 _Lucy Heartfillia's apartment_

A long bath is most definitely Lucy's favorite way to relax and unwind after a long day. Unfortunately for Lucy, her day wasn't quite over. As soon as she was done with her heavenly bath, she had to go back to the guild hall since Erza had some important announcement to make. Lucy assumed it had to do with the reason Meredy showed up at Fairy Tail, frantic to talk to Erza. Since she had left the two to talk in the infirmary when Meredy first woke up, Lucy had seen hide nor hair of the red-head. The celestial spirit mage assumed it had something to do with Jellal. Why else would Meredy show up and Erza spend so much time to herself? Lucy's novelist brain instantly started coming up with several different scenerios, possibly even some good writing material.

She shook her head. There was no use thinking all these crazy thoughts. She'd find out soon enough when she got out of the bath and went back to the guild hall. Normally, Lucy would wait until right before she went to bed to take a bath. However, today she simply couldn't wait to hop in after putting up with Natsu and Gray's constant bickering. With Erza not at the guild hall today to shut them up, their fighting was worse than ever.

Perhaps summoning little Plue would be a good idea. The snowman looking dog always seemed to put a smile on Lucy's face and make her forget about anything that's bothering her. She definitely could use and extra dose of stress relief.

Plue sat in the tub with her a few moments later, shivering in the warm water.

"Aw, are you cold? This water's nice and warm, why are you shivering?"

"Pun, pun!"

"Oh you're just so excited that you're trembling, is that it? How adorable!" Lucy lifted Plue into her arms and cuddled him against her chest. "Oh, you're just the cutest little thing!"

Lucy sat in the tub doing nothing but fawning over her spirit for at least ten minutes. How could she not? Plue is as cute as they come! Only after she glanced at the clock sitting on the bathroom counter did she realize that if she didn't hurry up, she'd be late to the meeting at the guild hall. Plue was sent back, and Lucy scrambled out of the tub and rushed to dry off and wrap her white towel around herself. She emerged from the bathroom with a dramatic background of steam, wasting no time in getting to her closet to pick an outfit.

"Hm, should I wear my pink top or my green one?" Lucy mused to herself aloud.

"Green one looks pretty good on ya."

Lucy froze. Before she could even turn around to see who the unfamiliar voice belonged to, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her head. The last thing she remembered was the carpet rushing toward her.

 _Fairy Tail guild hall_

Erza watched with a sharp eye as her fellow guild mates began to gather in the center of the room. She had called a meeting to tell everyone about what happened to Jellal, and to prepare her scouting party that would accompany her and Meredy to find out more about the shady group who attacked him. Makarov sat in the corner of the room, pleased with Erza's leadership abilities. He had a suspicion of what this was about, but didn't say anything. Letting Erza take charge in this matter would help her become a stronger wizard and leader. Makarov was happy to step aside if it meant watching one of his children grow.

"Well, I think everyone one is here," Erza spoke to the crowd, "so let's get started."

"Wait," Natsu piped up, "where's Luce?"

At his question, all of the wizards looked around them to see if she was standing in the crowd. When nobody found her, Gray said, "She's probably just fashionably late. You know how she takes her time with all that beauty stuff."

Natsu nodded, but his expression showed that he was far from convinced.

"Lucy is definitely someone who needs to hear what I have to say. I don't want to start without her. Natsu, I want you to go check on her," Erza ordered.

"Yeah, sure thing." Natsu rushed out of the guild hall and ran in the direction of Lucy's apartment. He had the worst feeling that something was wrong. Gray was right, Lucy tended to be late, but that didn't stop him from worrying. The meeting seemed pretty important, so surely she wouldn't be _too_ late.

Muscle memory brought Natsu right to Lucy's doorstep. Well, more like the window. No use in going through the front door. Natsu quickly scaled the wall to the second story, where he peered into Lucy's bedroom. From what he could see, the spirit mage wasn't there. Looks like he'd have to go in. The window was left unlocked, as usual, so getting in wasn't any trouble.

Natsu leapt over her bed and landed in the carpeted floor with a soft thud.

"Luce?" He called out, "ya in here?"

No reply. Taking a sniff, Natsu concluded the the apartment was empty. Her scent lingered as if she had only recently left, and— wait. What was that other smell? Another person had been in Lucy's apartment, that was for sure. The scent was unfamiliar, but Natsu knew one thing for sure. Something wasn't right.

He leaped back out of the window and onto the dark street. Lucy's and the other person's scent continued together in the opposite direction of the Fairy Tail guild hall. Natsu couldn't imagine why Lucy would be going away from Fairy Tail when she was supposed to be there tonight, but the only logical explanation was that this other person was putting her in danger.

His mind made up, Natsu took off running after Lucy's scent. Screw going back to the guild hall to report back to Erza. If he didn't follow the trail now, it might not be there when he did.

 _Somewhere in the forest_

Black. That was all Lucy could see. As for what she could hear, muffled voices. Lucy quickly recalled being knocked unconscious, and then the next thing she knew, she was here. Wherever that might be.

The celestial mage blinked hard, but that did nothing to improve her vision. It took her a second to realize that she was laying on her back. The rough bumps pressing into her felt like she was laying on stone. Then again, Lucy didn't sleep on rocks very often, so she couldn't tell for sure.

Just as she was about to try moving, the voices she heard earlier became louder to to point where she could make out a few words.

"Who… can't tell… familiar…"

"…knows? Might… here… reason we are."

Lucy's eyebrows scrunched together as she attempted to make sense of the words. One of the voices she knew she had heard before, but couldn't put her finger on it. As for the other, she didn't have the slightest clue.

"Take it off her! Maybe she knows how we can get the hell out of here!" Came the voice Lucy had never heard before. It was much louder now.

"I thought we weren't on the same side. Unless you changed your mind." Yes, Lucy definitely knew that voice.

"Look, I just want to live, and I'm sure you do to. Now help me take it off her!"

Take it off her? What were they going to do? Rape her? Lucy's heart began to beat wildly with fear. How was this happening? Where was she? Where was Natsu? Maybe he was nearby! Maybe if she screamed, then he–

Lucy felt tugging around her head, and suddenly she could see. It soon became obvious why her vision had been failing her: she'd had a bag over her head. The people who were talking earlier had taken it off. Looks like there was no reason to worry. Well, that actually remained to be seen.

Lucy sat up and looked at the two men who were with her. One of them she had never seen before. As for the other…

"Wait, Jellal?"

"Lucy Heartfillia of Fairy Tail! They caught you as well?"

"I-I guess so… who are they? What exactly is going on?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself. This one here," Jellal gestured to the man beside him, "knows what's happening. However, he refuses to speak."

"The name's Vihran, I'll have you know. And it looks like Blondie here doesn't know how to escape this cell, either. So it looks like we're stuck here. And I'm not going to tell you anything, Fernandez. Surely my boss just put me in here to scare me."

Still confused, Lucy decided to take in her surroundings. Just as Vihran said, they were trapped in a cell. As she was looking around, her eyes fell upon her own body, wrapped in nothing but her bath towel. She shrieked at the top of her lungs and rushed to cover herself as best as possible. Jellal tossed her a blanket, which she immediately used to hide her scantily clad figure. That was embarrassing.

After recovering, Lucy decided to question Vihran. "Are you sure you don't want to tell us exactly what's going on here? If we all put our heads together, we might have a chance at escaping."

Vihran promptly shook his head, although his resolve seemed weaker. "I'm not sharing any sensitive information. I don't really care what happens to the two of you as long as I get out."

Lucy decided to try again later. As for now, sleep seemed like a good idea.

Aaaaand that's all for today, folks! Next chapter will be up next week!


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